Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has taken further steps to promote Canada as a destination of choice for international students desiring to have quality education in Canada, by offering faster processing of Study Permit applications for international students with legal resident status in China, India, the Philippines and Vietnam, under the Student Direct Stream (SDS).
IRCC recognizes the tremendous economic, cultural and social benefit that international students bring to Canada. To ensure that its service standards are faster, easier and more accessible, IRCC revealed on June 8, 2018 that international students applying for a Study Permit from China, India, Vietnam and the Philippines, who demonstrate upfront that they have the financial resources and language skills to succeed academically in Canada, will benefit from the faster processing times of their applications under the SDS. IRCC is also looking at the options of expanding the SDS to African countries, beginning with Kenya and Senegal.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for processing under the SDS, the student must be a legal resident in China, India, Vietnam or the Philippines. If the student is a citizen of any of these countries but residing in another country, the student is not eligible to apply under the SDS, but must submit his or her Study Permit through the regular Study Permit application process. In support of the application, the student must also include the below listed documents:
- a copy of acceptance letter from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
- a copy of upfront medical exam confirmation document
- proof of a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of $10,000
- proof of tuition fees payment for the first year of study
- proof that the student graduated from a Canadian curriculum high school or has a language test, indicating:
- score of at least 6 for English (International English Language Testing System), or
- Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens score of at least 7 for French (Test d’évaluation de français)
If the student’s application does not meet the SDS requirements, IRCC will review the application as a regular Study Permit application and the application will not be processed faster. For further information on the SDS, please follow this link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/student-direct-stream.html
